


Dear sir

by lil_1337



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-07-16
Updated: 2005-07-16
Packaged: 2017-11-06 09:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/417540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trowa writes a letter to the editor in response to an expose calling the Gundam pilots terrorists.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dear sir

Dear Sir,

I’ve been called a terrorist on more than one occasion and to some I was and still am. Dictionary.com defines terrorist as, n: a radical who employs terror as a political weapon; usually organizes with other terrorists in small cells; often uses religion as a cover for terrorist activities.” I have organized with other known terrorists; in fact my home could be called a terrorist cell. I’ve never used religion as a cover. I’m not a religious man, never really have been. I’ve lived a life of caution too long to comfortably accept anything just on faith. There has to be actions behind the words before I trust and frankly I’ve not seen that in the religions of the world.

I am definitely a radical. In a world torn by war and battle I dreamed of peace. I can fit in anywhere but I choose to stand out. I fell in love with and married my best friend who happens to be another man. My family consists of circus performers, terrorists, pacifists, ex-royalty and former soldiers.

Did I use terror as a weapon? I hope so. In battle you use any and all advantages whether they be technological or psychological. The goal of the commander is to win. The goal of the soldier is to survive.

What is missing here and with every dictionary definition is the connotation. The subtext that a word has within a culture that can twist and taint the formal meaning If you call me a bastard I perceive it as an insult, a slight to my person, not a statement that my parents were not married. Language is a living, breathing entity that causes the meanings of words to grow and change over time.

This is where I begin to struggle with this title. Yes, I practiced terror against OZ, and any other military or paramilitary group who threatened the colonies. Of late however this word has come to mean someone who attacks civilians and creates fear and chaos in the general public. I had no qualms about demolishing a military installment, a mobile doll factory, or a platoon of OZ soldiers but taking on innocents was something I was /not/ willing to do.

This is the reason we opposed the original plan for operation meteor. Each pilot was faced with a choice and decided the cost of lost lives was too high. Attacking and killing millions of innocents was simply not an acceptable way to accomplish the goal of bringing peace. If you eliminate everyone but yourself you will rid the world of conflict but the losses do not balance what you have gained.

Strategically you run the risk of creating a more determined enemy instead of one who cows before you. The fervor of patriotism has sent more than one man to his death. If you involve non-military you make a paranoid and aware public who is more likely to act to stop you. If you do manage to create a climate of fear you then have to maintain it, which is costly in time, manpower and resources. Fear and repression breed revolution so any peace you have will be fleeting at best.

Morally it is reprehensible to attack someone who is unarmed and unprepared to defend themselves. It is also craven and cowardly to hide behind innocents and use them as a bargaining chip. If you have a problem with how the world works then by all means say it and act if you feel the need but don’t vent your frustrations on those who have no power or control. That is the equivalent of kicking the dog because your boss is an overbearing prick. All you are doing is creating a situation where you are the very thing you are rebelling against.

When you view a battlefield you expect to see carnage and destruction. The stench of spent artillery mixes with the smell of death to create its own unique scent. The screams and moans of the dying are clear even over the sounds of battle. War is dirty and ugly, don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise. To see the same scene on a city street and realize that the small foot barely visible was a child on his way to school is unacceptable no matter how important you think your message is.

If you have reduced your cause to attacking innocents because you’d rather inflict pain then fight honestly then you have brought yourself down from a warrior to a schoolyard bully. Soldiers do not prey on the weak they fight to protect them. /we fight so others don’t have to/. I am not so naïve as to think I never harmed anyone who was not directly my enemy by my actions but I can say with a clear conscience that it was not my intention to do so. I never targeted anyone who had not made the choice to be in the line of fire.

Today I sit here and struggle with this question. Was I a terrorist? The dictionary says yes, cultural subtext says no. My head says the war is over so the question is irrelevant. My heart says you and the world have peace why torture yourself? For today I choose to listen to my heart.

Sincerely,  
Trowa Barton-Winner


End file.
